A Broken Promise
by 5751
Summary: You said you would be there when I woke. You weren't but you were, hovering in the distance. You let them take me from you. One day sister, I will find you. Even if Father's gotten to you first I will find you. That is a promise I don't intend to break.
1. Walking Through Fire

**A/N I don't own Teen Titans. Just entertaining an idea.**

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I sighed as I watched everything burn, burn in bright red, turn black with familiar _snap-cracks_. I loved fire, now don't get me wrong. But after a while, when it's your only form of defense, it gets a little boring.

_And I only used it for a defense._

The men foolish enough to try and attack me were mere vague black human shaped objects burning. One of their swords, a stone sword, was clutched in my hand. The blade hummed softly, something I had never experienced before. Here, where metal was used for sacred purposes only, weapons were reduced to stone and power. I hefted the stone blade in my hand and studied the symbols carved into it.

"Ah that explains it," I said softly, recognizing 'fire' and 'Scath'. What this fool had been doing with such carvings in his sword I didn't care to know. It would just make my head hurt to hear his explanation. I twisted the blade in my hand easily, delighted with the way it felt feather light.

"_**The blade was meant for you," **_a darker part of me said softly. I had to agree this time. Not only did it hum in my hand, something that only happened if a magic blade found the one it was intended for, but it had those carvings in it. Long ago there had been another person who could have wielded this blade. I snarled in pain and anger as I shook the thought from my head.

_One day sister, I will find you _I thought to myself softly, turning away from the men. If I stayed too long then the smell would get to me and I would go on a rampage again. Absently I tucked the blade into my belt, next to the bow that was hanging from it too. Both weapons had the same carvings. _Hehe, I just need a staff now and I'll be all set! Hehe! _

My feet were forever taking me north. I knew damn well why too. Azarath lay head, somewhere beyond the mountains. People were fleeing from the area, being chased by fiery ghosts. I smirked. Maybe I wasn't going to find _her _here.

"What are you doing crazy girl?" one man, a monk, gasped at me as I elbowed people out of the way. I turned to glare at him, very much aware that while my top eyes weren't showing the red irises should be enough. With a startled squeak he backed away, and took off running again. I smirked. Mortals, so damn easy to scare.

"_**This would be a lot more fun if you just killed a few of them off," **_the dark voice inside me grumbled. I shook my head and started looking for a likely target. Right now it was just lowly monks and whatnot that ran by me, clutching at the hands of little children. I snarled slightly. _**"Oh hum? Who do we have here?" **_I spotted the person my darker side had and smiled with wicked delight.

"Going somewhere Dr.?" I asked softly, wrapping my hand around the man's neck. He froze, looking into my eyes with fear. I let a half grin dominate my face, one fang poking out. "Don't tell me you forgot me. You ruined my life ten years ago."

"Z-Zaven?" the man choked out. I smiled and leaned closer. By now others, higher-ups, were running by. I absently directed the fiery minions to round up a few, which I really didn't matter. I had the one I wanted. "Y-You're supposed to be dead."

"Oh yes I'm very much aware of that Dr. Only you've forgotten one thing." The man paled slightly and I was delighted by the pounding beneath my hand.

"A-and that w-would be?" I grinned, showing off all my fangs.

"_She _was prophesized to bring about the end of the world. And with your teaching I bet she didn't even unlock any of the powers I have." I spat the words, watching the flames that sudden sprang up dance around me. The minions had done their job, rounding up a good load of the leaders. I smiled with delight as the fiery cage forced them back the way they had come. "I however am going to make your life a living Hell."


	2. Kindness of a half Demon

**A/N I don't own Teen Titans. I was surprised by the number of people who read this already. **

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"_**Father will be pleased. They make for entertaining toys." **_I looked absently over to where the other leaders were crying, begging to be left free. Their cries only fueled the fire of hatred burning inside me. Snarling I shoved the doctor forward again, not at all concerned he would run away. They all tried it and it all ended the same way. Burning in Hell. Fools.

"We have to get there first," I answered softly. Already I had been attacked by a few shadowy things the monks had conjured. Of course that really hadn't helped them any as I just took control of the things and let them loose inside the cage. Shadows and fire were my stronger points. And making people insane. I grinned wickedly, leaning closer to the man in front of me. "You see them Dr.? See how they cry so piteously for their lives when the lower monks worked to save the children first? That's the problem with you higher ups. You don't give a damn about anyone but yourselves."

"What are you going to do to them?" the man asked, turning to glare at me. I shrugged, idly twirling the sword in my hand.

"Give them over to Father. I have you my dear Dr. You who ruined my life. Tell me, did you ever expect me to come back?"

"It had crossed my mind once, when there were whispers of a whole town burned in flames. Of course that could have been the cause of any uncontrollable demi-Demon." He spat the words in my face. I grinned. Oh yes that had been me. Stupid fools thought I was Satan and tried to kill me.

"So that's what I am hum? An uncontrollable demi-Demon? I suppose that could be true _**considering I like to watch people squirm as their minds are eaten away by their own imagination." **_The man shivered with fear at my darker, more threatening tone. I laughed with delight at the sweat trickling down his face, the wild heart beating in his chest. "Oh no my dear Dr. I have something special planned for you. Something very special indeed." The man's face turned a shade paler.

"_**They're at it again," **_my darker side groaned with annoyance. I looked at the monks in the circle then down at my sword. Grinning I motioned one of the fire ghosts over.

"Hold him," I commanded, handing over the Dr. The ghost said nothing, merely calling over its buddies to help. My feet took me over to the fiery cage, the walls not touching me as I stepped through them.

"_**Is there anything else you fools can do?" **_I asked, surprising the lot of them. Nervously they turned to me, faces pale and covered in sweat. _**"It's utterly pointless you know. I control the shadows and fire. You have nothing to throw at me." **_I spat the words, the sword in my hand springing to life. Everyone mumbled nervously as I jabbed the flaming blade at them.

"W-we have t-this!" a small voice squeaked. A young child ran forward, holding a vial of water. I blinked. Holy water? Then the laugh erupted from my throat.

"Child even that can't affect me," I chuckled, smiling with delight. I bent to his level, crazy grin in place. "I'm not possessed at all. It's a part of my heritage." The boy's eyes got wide and I stood back up, turning to the monks. _**"You begged for your lives while this child was within your mists, innocent and still pure from your stupid teachings. It is not within the human nature to cancel violence from their lives. Yes I'll admit some of the violence is done in stupid cause but it's only a part of who we are. So take your pacifist ways and shove." **_I bent back down, gently grasping the boy's shoulder. He squeaked with alarm. "I'm going to send you far away from here child. There I want you to start a new life. Do what you will but I suggest you give up these worthless ways." I spat the words again.

"Why are you sending the child away and not us?" a voice snapped out. I closed my eyes and made the boy disappear in a whirl of shadows. "What has he got that we don't?" The voices started rising. I stood slowly, keeping my head bowed.

"_**SILENCE! You incompetent fools!" **_I snarled, opening my eyes, all four of them. They shut up instantly. I stalked forward, growl constantly rumbling from my throat. _**"You call yourselves peaceful. Yet when faced with the fact I've sent a child away you become violent. In the light of your own impending doom you've forgotten your teachings. I'll tell you what the child has that you don't. He has the chance to live, to change his ways! You fools are too old for that to happen now! Even if you say you were to change it would be there! In the back of your mind! Sooner or later you would revert, breaking your word!" **_I was breathing hard and nearly about ready to go on a rampage. Think girl think! Ah yes, these men were going to Father. The Dr. was mine though, all mine. "No more talking for the remainder of this trip. When we reach the end you may talk, to beg for your pitiful lives at the feet of Trigon." Still growling I walked back out of the cage.

"To a degree even you are kind Zaven," the man said as I walked up. I shooed the ghosts away as everyone started walking again. "What possesses you to do such a thing for a child?"

"You're the cause of it Dr. The cause of my pain. You and someone else. But for now I'll be content with torturing you." I jabbed my sword into the small of the man's back, making him stumble forward. He started walking, probably edged on by the burning sensation. I was glad he had shut the hell up.

_**Flashback**_

"_Uh huh?" I mumbled, waking up slightly. The warm body that had been beside me when I fell asleep was gone. "Raben? Raben where are you?" I could sense her, just outside my line of sight but that didn't process in my groggy brain. A sob escaped my lips as tears started forming. "Raben? Raben come out pwease!" I started crying. _

"_She'll no longer talk to you girl," a sick voice filled with hatred snarled in my ear. I gasped in fear as arms wrapped around my waist. The scream erupted from my throat before I could think what was going on. _

"_Raben!"_

Stubbornly I shook my head. That had been years ago but I could still remember every detail clearly. Every single fucking detail. Nothing had hurt worse than that night and I doubted anything else could. Unless of course the same thing were to happen all over again. If it did I would end up killing someone. Of course, I was going to do the same with Dr. but that was going to take a little bit of time.

"She left you know, for Earth," the man ahead of me said suddenly. I snarled and jabbed at his back. "A long time ago. What makes you think you'll find her there?"

"Because I've promised to. And I don't break a promise Dr."


	3. Insanity and a Demon

**A/N I don't own Teen Titans.**

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"**Which of you incompetent fools comes close?" **a voice rang out, just as my foot touched the ground of Azarath. It had been a long time since I was last here and everything was burning bright red. Very fitting. I nodded with approval.

"A whole lot of them," I growled, glaring at the monks in the fiery circle. They were moaning and whining about their precious home being destroyed. I felt my temper rising a degree and urged everyone forward.

It was subtly at first but soon we were surrounded by large fiery ghosts. These would be the ones that answered directly to Father, the ones that you had to get through first to before dealing with him. The smaller ones I could control quite easily. Not these guys. But at least they hadn't attacked me on sight.

The ghosts directed me, in a way, to where a big part of the city had been carved away. I would have stopped and looked in awe at the throne that had been made from one of the buildings but for the ghosts pushing at my back and what not. It had been a skyscraper at one point, but now a part was carved out from it where a person could sit and the carvings on my sword dominated the design of it.

"**What do you want girl?" **The voice snapped me out of my awe. Sitting on the throne was a red skinned demon with antlers and four red eyes. I smirked at the whimpers of fear coming from the monks. One of the smaller ghosts took a hold of the good Dr. for me again. I walked forward, shoving my sword into my belt as I went.

"_**I merely was hoping to find someone here," **_I answered in a soft, dangerous voice, going down onto one knee. I felt Trigon's curiosity spike upward, if only just slightly. _**"And if you're anything like how the stories say then you might find some entertainment in these fools." **_I gestured toward the monks in the circle, purposely leaving out Dr. He was mine, all mine. I wanted to put him through Hell by myself.

"**And what of this other man then?" **I smirked. Nothing would get by the ruling demon.

"_**I have a grudge with him. If you insist on having his soul you'll get it when I'm done." **_The words came out in a snarling hiss. Trigon started laughing.

"**Look at me girl," **he commanded. I did, aware that all my eyes were open. A smile, if it were possible, seemed to light up on the demon's face. **"I had heard rumors of you but they were given to me by untrustworthy mortals. What is your name girl?" **

"_**Zaven."**_

"**Ah those rumors were true then. Hum perhaps if Raven hadn't gone to Earth then you could have been the portal." **I hissed with displeasure at the name. Trigon noticed and gave me a level look. Idiot! **"She has caused you displeasure too?"**

"_**Yes," **_I hissed softly, clutching at the sword in my belt tightly. Something started to crack. _**"You can have her for your purpose Father but I ask that you leave a small part for me in the end." **_Trigon started laughing again. This time he waved his hand too. The ghosts started moving, pushing the monks away from the scene. He left my Dr. though. I would have been seriously mad if he hadn't.

_CRACK! _The sword's handle suddenly broke in two under my grip. The crack ran along the blade as I watched, bemused and then split apart entirely. I sighed and pulled the two halves out of my belt. And this is why I relied more on the bow and arrow than a sword. I broke stone easily when mad. Absently I threw them in the direction the ghosts had taken the monks. There was a startled cry as the sword halves struck their mark.

"**How long have you been craving for revenge girl?" **the demon seated on the throne asked, watching with slight amusement the panic my attack had caused. I could feel my demon side slipping away again and didn't bother to call it back. That would just make my head hurt.

"Ten years now," I answered, the displeasure still in my voice. Trigon looked at me in surprise I think. "The banished me as far as they could. I came back though. I promised I would." My voice had dropped to the soft dangerous tone I liked using. Dr. gulped slightly as I walked over to him. "Isn't that right my dear Dr.?"

"**Answer the girl," **Trigon commanded, getting a small squeak out of the man. I giggled with pleasure at that and stalked around him, waiting for an answer. I swear I heard bones rattling in joints from fear.

"I-I don't r-remember that," he managed to say. I sighed, shaking my head and walked in front of the man. I had wanted to wait for this but this petty, I'm-going-to-lie-and-hope-I-get-out-alive crap irritated me. A lot.

"Wrong answered Dr. You know damn well I promised. After I got over the shock of what you fools had done." I was spitting my words again, rage in my eyes and voice. Then to the man's panicked look it died away instantly, leaving a blank face. If possible that scared him even more.

"W-what are-"

"Hush my dear Dr." My tone was soothing now, like a trainer talking to a wild animal. "There's nothing to be afraid of. You're going to take a little nap now okay?" The man's eyelids started to drop. I smiled. "Mm it's going to be a deep sleep you know? And in it you're going to have a dream. You've got trust built up in someone, a deep amount. They betray that trust, leaving you for nasty fools who want to kill you. And this is going to happen over and over again Dr. You never learn not to trust. Okay?" The man's knees crumpled. I stepped away and watched as my powers started working. He was twitching and screaming as the ghosts took him away to some far corner. I could still hear his screams though.

"**Where did you learn that girl?" **Trigon asked, leaning forward slightly. I turned back to the demon, a sick smile on my face.

"Another banished person taught me. A monk, believe it or not, had discovered the power to get inside someone's head. He accidently made a child go insane from it. At that point I could drain knowledge from anyone I wished and did so. The monk was actually pretty glad and even agreed to start a war against Azarath. I don't know how far he got with that though."

"**Has it come in handy?" **I smiled, eyes lighting with the memories. There was the man who believed himself to be Satan but he had no powers at all. Just a load of bull crap. A young woman who thought she could do it with a bunch of people and then kill the kids. I took a higher delight in torturing her than I usually did. And then the numerous drunks who didn't know how to take life as it came.

"Oh yes. Very much so." I sniggered now, covering my hand with my mouth. Trigon seemed to smile again, leaning back in his throne. I was starting to be overcome by my sniggers. By the time he was sitting again I was rolling of the ground howling. I think it served to scar the monks even more. Dr.'s screams accompanied me.

"**Can you teleport to other worlds girl?" **my father asked as my laughing died off. Still lying on my back I gazed up at the smoky sky.

"No, not that I had any desire to until now," I answered, regret filling my voice. I could feel Trigon's interest spike again. "I mean, before I didn't know _she _went to Earth. But now I do and I want to go there because I've dealt with Dr. I kind of like the fact I didn't know though. I mean, I wouldn't have discovered half the powers I have if I could have just teleported to where I wanted to be." And that was true. It was in a life-or-death situation I had discovered my control of shadows. The fire I had always known for I had grown with that. A few others, like the sword and the bow I had developed over time too.

"**Interesting girl. I will grant you that power for one travel if you do a few things for me." **I jumped to my feet instantly. The chance to go to Earth without using stupid books and chants? That was appealing, very appealing. I smiled, going down onto one knee again, bowing my head.

"_**Name it." **_


	4. First Task

**A/N I don't own Teen Titans.**

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I sighed, watching the monks of this temple prepare cannons filled with holy water. While the holy wouldn't affect the fiery ghosts behind me the water would. Seriously that stuff just gave me a slight uncomfortable feeling. To actually rip out my demon side would be to half kill me. And I wasn't one for that.

"Pointless fighting for their lives I suppose," I mused, twirling the sword in my hand. Father had given me another one, this made of metal, with the same carvings as the stone sword. Everything I wore now actually bore his mark. He had said it would resist any kind of wear and so far it seemed like it. Although I wouldn't have minded the blood staying on for a bit longer.

One of the ghosts looked at me. I shook my head. We wouldn't attack yet, because I wanted to see how far these fools were willing to wait. And plus I was waiting for a report back from the shadow ghost I had sent out to scope the area. In the meantime it was rather amusing to listen to the desperate screams of the monks preparing for war.

"_**Get ready you foolish idiots for you've no children in your midst," **_I snarled, flexing my hand. That I was sure of otherwise I would have teleported them to another dimension already. I could teleport others, not myself. Not that I really cared anyway. It was a hassle and I'm pretty sure I would freak at the feeling of traveling between dimensions.

"_There's a small gate on the north wall," _the soft hissing voice of my shadow ghost greeted me. I turned, looking to where its eyes were; which were just black soulless holes that penetrated you to the very core. I loved looking into them. _"Unguarded, fools." _This ghost I called upon often because he was on the same page of thinking as I was.

"Mm I'd have you take a few of the fire ghosts Father lent me to there and ransack the place but they tend to stand out," I responded, tapping my chin. My friend hissed with displeasure. "Or not. Hum…" The sword in my hand hummed through the air, leaving trail marks of fire. "Would you mind taking my form and leading the attack for a while?" My shadow ghost sighed. He did mind but leading attacks were always fun to him. Even at the head of fire ghosts who didn't have enough smarts to even talk. Another reason I called on this ghost often.

"Fine. But you owe me." I smiled, knowing that meant I would just have to leave him a few people to kill for himself. Nodding I started walking away, the ghost already having taken my form. The shadows wrapped around me, making me look like him. It was a plan we had used many a times. "Alright! You've had your petty chances of preparing. Now you're going to die!" He couldn't mimic my demon voice but the dark and dangerous tone he matched perfectly. I smiled again.

With the sounds of attack starting I slipped away, to the north. There was a small gate, next to a deep hole. From that hole came the smell of waste. I wrinkled my nose and eased through the door. I couldn't blame my friend, he couldn't smell. So in the mean time I would just have to suck it up and live on.

The first person I came across was a woman, her stomach swollen with pregnancy. That caused me to hesitate. While she might not change her ways the child could be convinced otherwise. Then I smirked. Wiping the memory of someone was always tricky and I ended up with a bunch of weird stuff in my head for it. But if I wanted to spare the kid I was going to have to do this.

"Sad day isn't?" I asked, softly, grasping the woman's shoulder. She gave a small gasp and looked at me. Right into my red eyes. Perfect. "Trigon has sent out his minions to conquer and destroy. Tell me, what were the ways of this place?"

"W-we were peaceful," the woman answered, already lost under my spell. When I was born I had a 'choice' of the one spell I was allowed. Everyone had grumbled when I chose taking away the memories, and in turn their knowledge, from someone. "We gave aid to those who needed it. Oh we could fight, but not without cause." I nodded. That sounded about right. The poor woman didn't know the truth.

"Mm. Do you want to get away from here?" I was talking lightly, so as not to startle the woman. If she rose an alarm I would be forced to kill her.

"I-I don't know. Would it be selfish me, to do so? There are some many nicer people here that are more deserving." I raised an eyebrow. Hum she was different than most.

"Who are these people?"

"Old Man Greg and his lady, Annabell. They've been here since I was a little girl. Both are quite old now, nearly ready to embrace death." I smiled. That made my life a bit easier.

"Are they the only two?" The woman nodded, a sort of sad happiness in her eyes. "Then don't worry about it. I'll make sure they don't die horribly."

"You will?" I nodded. A smile lite the woman's face. "Thank you. I wasn't sure but now I am. Thank you, thank you."

"Do you know why I'm offering you the chance to get away and not any other?" I asked, curiously. People seemed to write me off as some horrible creature twisted with hate. While that was true to some extent my weakness were kids. The woman looked confused.

"No. Is it important?" she replied back, laying a hand over her belly. I had already caught the motion of the kid kicking. A sort of smile, tight so as not to show my sharpened teeth, wormed its way onto my face.

"You're with child my dear. When you give birth I want you to tell them about me okay? That's all I'm asking for a price." The woman's face lost its confusion, lighting up again.

"Of course. You, in a sense, are saving his life."

"A boy?" How could she tell? The woman nodded, another sad smile on her face.

"Yes. His father was hanged for a crime he didn't commit. I plan on naming him after Jared." A distant look entered her eyes and I was about ready to send her off when she spoke again. "What's your name, so that Jared might be able to search you out some day and thank you personally?" I blinked, having never been asked my name for that reason. Then a small smile lite my face, sort of wicked and cruel.

"Zaven." The woman's face turned to horror as I teased out a small memory of Greg and Annabell from her mind. Her mouth was opening to scream a warning as the shadows wrapped around her and teleported her away. I smirked, stalking through the area again. The sounds of monks screaming filled my ears.

Using the memory I went to the old couple's house. It was a simple thing, two stories with a cozy atmosphere inside. I looked around, trying to locate the old couple. Upstairs then, for they weren't in the large main floor that was just one room. The stairs were dark and signaled a change in the atmosphere. Here the couple was, depressed as the fiery ghosts attacked. They had a nice view of it from their window. I stopped for a moment and watched, my shadow ghost imitating me perfectly.

"Sad isn't it child?" the man asked in a raspy voice. I jumped a little, sure I had slipped in unnoticed. The woman chuckled at my shock. "Oh we know when anyone enters our little home. Didn't you sense the spells?"

"I was never taught to sense such things," I answered softly, keeping my voice low. I didn't want to scare them either. "They thought me to be stupid."

"Oh? Is that so?" The woman's voice was high and sympathetic. She turned to me with a gentle smile. "And are you girl? You don't look it."

"If I stay focused on my anger and goal then I'm not. But if that focus slips I'm as innocent as a little child." Had learned that the hard way and nearly died from it. Now the man chuckled, peering at me through one eye.

"A goal huh? And what would that be?" I pursed my lips, wondering if I should just kill the old folk right now. Then I decided to humor them, considering they would be dead by the end of the day anyway.

"Someone broke a promise to me. I want to make sure they know how much it hurt." The bitter anger and long hatred was in my words. My grip tightened around the sword's handle. Both the old timers looked at me with sympathy.

"How long has it been since then?"

"Ten years. It's consumed my every waking and sleeping moments." At the word 'sleeping' my spell, the one I had learned about making people insane, started. The wrinkled eyelids started to drop. "I don't know the meaning of decent sleep. Every time I close my eyes that memory is played over again. If I was asked what I wanted, just for one day, it would be to sleep peacefully, without dreams or nightmares, and understand the deepness of those black murky depths that evade me." Their breathing had slowed considerable and I waited, watching the fight outside. Soon enough it slowed to the point there was a full minute between each breath. Their hearts were slowing too. I started moving out of the room. When I got to the door they were dead.

"_**Now it is time for the rest of you useless fools to die," **_I snarled softly, flying out of the building. The sword in my hand sprang to life, leaving a trail of light behind me. My pupils disappeared, red taking over and opening the other set of eyes on my head. The desperate screams of monks reached my ears and egged on my rampage.

"_**FOOLS! TODAY YOU DIE!" **_


	5. Books and Screams

**A/N I don't own Teen Titans**

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"**That was faster than I expected," **Father stated as I walked up. The ghosts he had lent me had disappeared, leaving just me and my shadow ghost. **"Did you get the book I asked for? In good condition?" **

"Right here Father," I replied, pulling out the object. It was a tome of sorts I guess, I couldn't really make out the title. "It was protected by that creepy water dude, just like you said." He had really given me a scare. I hated water with a passion, only really bothering with it to clean myself. Hell I didn't even drink straight water either.

"**Good girl. Do you know what's written in this book?"**

"No. I can't read normal writing. The words jump all over the place." That had nearly cost me my life a few times. I could read…if it was in a certain style of writing that had no known name. The stupid, rigid uniform of other styles gave me a headache.

"**Interesting. So how did you know this was the right book then?"**

"I can read to a certain extent. Enough to confirm what I need to know. And plus the water dude just about killed me when I touched the cover." It was only the sense of something being off that had saved my ass. And even so fire didn't work against the bastard. I had to rely on the shadows to fight the guy off.

Dully it crossed my mind I was sounding like a little child trying to please a parent. I never really talked so freely, and with the tone I was using. Normally I kept the dark and dangerous tone people pegged onto me or like I was a highly intelligent villain. I wasn't really. It was only my anger and my goal that kept me focused to use my brain. If I lost my goal I would lose my anger and then I would be the child I never finished being.

Trigon motioned me away as he took the book from my hands. I nodded and walked in the direction the ghosts had taken Dr. Being dragged the other way were some of the leaders I had spared for Father's amusement.

"If you don't need me I shall leave," my shadow ghost said softly. I blinked and then looked around. There was too much light for him to be comfortable.

"Alright go ahead. I'll call you if I need your help again." The shadow nodded and melted away, like always. Shaking my head I kept walking, delighted as whimpers of emotional hurt reached my ears.

The man was kept in a fiery cage, with ghost guards. Not that he would have been doing anything other than crying. I walked up silently, seeing the man's eyes closed tightly as he hugged himself. A smile lit my face. It appeared I had arrived just as his trust was betrayed again.

"Why? Why did you leave me? What did I do wrong? Why?" the man whimpered, seeming to no one. I smiled as I crossed my legs and sat down. His eyes would never open again and judging by the claw marks in the dirt his response was violent. Okay that explained the guards. "Why? Was I not what you wanted? Why did you lie to me? Why? Tell me please!" The tears began falling again and the man's body shook with sobs. My eyes started to sting.

"_Raben!" _I shook the memory from my head violently and got up to move away. Sure I took delight in the fact that he was feeling the same pain I had. But obviously hearing the cries strengthened that feeling to the point I would probably be left crying too.

"**How long will this go on?" **Father's voice suddenly boomed out. I jumped to my feet, surprised. He was right next to me, in a smaller form, like a really tale human, and watching the caged doctor.

"The only thing that'll set him free is death," I answered, bitterness in my voice. I had made the man insane. There was no escape from that…unlike me, where I could get my revenge. Or would there be an escape? My thoughts drifted to a boy around my age whom I had met five years ago. He had wanted to become more than just friends with me and it was rather appealing too. But something held me back. Had I been afraid of my trust being stomped on again?

"**So until he starves to death then?" **

"Yah pretty much." The man was asleep, trapped inside his own head. If he didn't stumble into the walls first and burn he would starve. I personally wanted him to starve because I had experienced that too. Trigon said nothing, watching as the doctor screamed his pain. I winced slightly and shoved a finger in my ear. The pitch hurt.

"**I've got another job for you." **


	6. Slade Comes To Hell

**A/N I don't own Teen Titans.**

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"Never thought I'd wind up here again," I mumbled, stopping. In front of me stood a rather large building, with various colors of light pouring from the windows. From inside came a mixture of noises, in a variety of tones. Sighing I gripped my sword tightly and started moving forward again.

As I walked I could feel memories bubbling just under the surface. Each one held pain and confusion. I flinched and shoved them away. I didn't have time for them right now; I had a job to do. Pick up some dead guy with a grudge against this group of teen superheroes. Okay yah…what?

"_**Father said to pick up Slade just after he was burned in the lava," **_my darker side reminded me. Okay that part I got. If Slade was alive there was no advantage. We needed him dead 'cause then Father could use the offer of giving Slade back his flesh and blood as leverage. Without that who knows what Slade could do? Not much in this world. _**"The Titans have to believe he's dead so that they're lured into a false sense of security…at least for the time being." **_I sniggered with my other half. Okay so maybe this wasn't going to be that bad.

But still I didn't like this place. Ten years ago I had been banished here. Now in the space of a single second I had come back. This place, not many dared to enter it. A lot were banished here. This house was called The Meeting Place of Worlds. Oh sure you could banish someone to another world…if you opened a portal that allowed one to leap across dimensions. If you just opened a portal with the intent of knocking a person to another world without the interdimension part then they wound up here. Like I had and that monk had. But only people who had some human in them or sort of resembled humans like this group called the Tamaraneans could enter it. The Meeting Place of Worlds was picky.

Taking a deep breath I walked toward the building, squaring my shoulders and frowning. I was representing my father, Trigon, a demon who only wanted to rule the worlds. To be sure of this Father had the mark burned into my upper arm, like a tattoo. Below it were the symbols of fire and shadow side by side. My two powers. Fire I had from Father. I wasn't sure where I had gotten the shadow bit from.

"It has been ten years," a soft voice hailed me as I entered the building. I froze and turned to my left. There, like before, was an old man, the Keeper of Dimensions.

"Yes it has Keeper," I answered, bowing slightly. The man chuckled, watching as a soul travelled past him. Souls, bodies, thoughts, anything retaining to humans or their look-alikes came through here. "I am closer now to my goal than I have ever been before."

"Oh? Were you sent here then?" The man was sounding amused. I straightened, four eyes flashing briefly. "That won't work with me girl."

"I know. My father sent me. If I do jobs for him he'll send me to Earth where _she _has gone." The old man nodded, a mournful expression on his face. I didn't say a word, well used to his thoughts about my goal. He didn't want me to have my revenge, at least not right off. And the old man had made me promise to give _her _five minutes to explain. Then I could blast her, make her insane, do anything I damn well wanted if the explanation didn't sooth me.

"What about the other man. Dr. was it?" The old man started leading me to one of the color pools I didn't need to tell him what I was doing here. He could read my mind if it pertained to taking someone from a world and bringing them here.

"I've dealt with him already. You didn't have me promise for him. And either way, I wouldn't have seriously thought about his explanation. When I found him he was running away from Father. There were lesser monks before him, holding the hands of children. Dr. did no such thing."

"Ah yes children. You were always found of them." I sighed and nodded. This old man, because I had been banished here and struck conversation with him, could watch over me. And sometimes it helped because I got help from an 'unknown' source when I was most in trouble.

"I want them to live happy." My voice was soft and quiet. Keeper nodded and stopped at a sky blue pool. I touched my forehead with a knuckle, a way of showing thanks, and Keeper left. Taking a deep breath and opening my four eyes I turned back to the pool.

In it were a group of teens fighting one man with an orange and black mask. Disregarding the teens, for I didn't need them now, I focused on Slade. He was falling toward the lava and in the corner of my eye I saw a blonde girl surrounded with a yellow glow. I pushed that out of my mind too and waited.

"_**Almost there now," **_I said softly, watching as Slade started to sink into the lava. I could feel his presence start to slip away. The mask disappeared. I grabbed out.

A copy of the man fell on top of me with a grunt and a low moan of pain. Slowly he became solid as the body in his original world burned to nothing. Slade was being covered by his armor, hiding the skeleton he had become. I eased myself out from underneath him and waited.

"I thought death was supposed to be different," the man finally said as his mask formed around his face. I smirked slightly and waited from him to notice me. "Perhaps someone has pulled me out?" And he turned to me.

"_**You are correct man," **_my darker side answered as a smirk light my face. Slade didn't do a double take, just stood there cold and commanding. Instantly I knew that I could never make this man's mind snap. _**"I was sent by my father Trigon. He has a job for you. Follow me." **_I turned and started walking out of The Meeting Place of Worlds. Slade followed after a few moments hesitation.

"And what is this job?"

"_**I am only the messenger my dear Slade. Father has decided not to give me that knowledge."**_

"Do you know my reward for doing this job then?" I could hear that nothing short of his flesh and blood back would be enough. I smiled.

"_**Isn't it obvious my dear man? Your flesh and blood with a one-way ticket to your own world again. Wouldn't that be grand? You can terrorize the Titans even more than before, given they think you to be dead."**_

"You have captured my interest." I threw back my head and laughed. We had exited the building.

In the time it takes to blink we were back on Azarath. Slade looked around at the burning and destroyed buildings then back at me. I was still smirking and started walking towards my father's throne.

"**Very good Zaven, you followed my orders to the letter," **Trigon boomed out as I went down on one knee before the demon. Slade stopped at my side. **"Bold man you are Slade, not bowing before your master."**

"I am still not in your service. I can find other ways of getting my body back," Slade said. That promoted a booming laugh out of Father. I kept my head bowed as my darker side slipped away to sleep.

"**I like that. You're a man I can use. It's impossible for you to get your flesh and blood back here Slade. There is no one left to do so and it was I that made your passage from The Meeting Place of Worlds to here so quick. Tell our guest how long it took you to arrive here Zaven."**

"Ten years. And that's without being hunted by Father," I answered, shooting a glance at the man beside me. Slade seemed a little surprised my dark tone was gone. Trigon laughed and then leaned forward.

"**You see, there is nowhere you can hid here Slade. I will find you and send you to Hell long before you ever reach The Meeting Place of Worlds again. Now, I have something that I require you to do before I give you your body back."**

"And what is that Master?" Slade asked, mimicking my position. I think Father smiled slightly.

"**You are going to help me bring about the end of Earth. But for that you need to get strong. In order to do so I will you have train Zaven in the martial arts you know. She will refer to you as Master and you will call her Apprentice. Is that understood?"**

"Yes Master." Slade…Master shot a glance at me. I could tell he was sizing me up, wondering what I could do. Which wasn't a lot although I had monstrous strength and unlimited stamina. My aim with my bow was dead on though.

"**Zaven look at me." **I glanced upward and Trigon's eyes seemed to lock onto mine. Instantly I felt weak. **"All you are going to remember from this is last words I spoke to Slade." **I passed out, my mind going black.


	7. I Have No Skill Master

**A/N I don't own Teen Titans and since I know little to nothing about martial arts I'm not really going into much detail about Zaven's training with Slade. **

* * *

"How much do you know Apprentice?" Master asked me, his voice calm and commanding. He stood at my side, watching over the troops I was commanding against yet another temple filled with foolish monks. Although these ones were a bit more warlike.

"Not a whole lot Master," I answered dutifully. I pulled my bow from my belt and tested the string. Still good, not that I expected it to have worn down. "I know a little about blocks and then anyone can swing a sword about. In stuff without using my powers all I can really do well is shoot people." I took aim, the bow drawn back fully, the small arrow waiting. I purposely made mine small to get into the chinks of armor. "Other than that I'm not very good. Before Father came metal was used for sacred purposes and thus we had to rely on stone for weapons and such. I break stone easily so I never bothered with it." With a _snap-twang _the arrow was sent flying, straight and true to its path. Far away a monk in armor fell off his horse.

"Interesting. How long have you been able to run in one go?" Master didn't take his eyes off the fight as I fitted another arrow and fired again. I lowered my weapon before answering.

"Not quite sure. People liked to try and kill me a lot so if I ran I never got more than three hours in before I was attacked again. I think the most I've been able to do was a four hour with a two hour fight after that and then another two hours running after that." Now Master did look at me. I didn't look at him, just watched as some of the monks grabbed bows themselves. A snigger rose to my lips as the first arrow flew at me. It was dead on just the power behind it wasn't enough to get it to me.

"So you have a lot of stamina?" Master said as I bent to pick up the arrow. A second one twanged out, a lot faster than the first. I smiled. Oh this attack. A quick tug and I straightened, catching the second projectile just before it hit my leg.

"I guess so," I answered, putting both arrows to the string. There seemed to be a slight confusion amongst the monks. I grinned and shot at the two who had shot at me. They went down a few moments later. "And crazy strength. Took on one of those muscle builders in a fight just for laughs. I smashed his face in with just a single punch."

"Interesting. Later, after this battle, I will test you." I bit my tongue, narrowing my eyes. The fire ghosts responded and intensified their attack. A part of me wanted to mess with the heads of the monks a little. But however he was the Master and I the Apprentice. "Something wrong Apprentice?"

"Well I can make people insane see? And so I like screwing with minds. It wouldn't work now 'cause the monks have seen you but I thought of doing that little test as you being help for the other side and attacking me while I send the fire ghosts after the monks. You know like a surprise attack and stuff? And then when their hope is just high enough crush it by stopping and…critiquing is it? Yah that's it. Critiquing what I've done and stuff."

Master was silent for a long while. I idly fiddled with my bow, randomly shooting when I felt like it. My shadow ghost was still doing a circuit of the place so I was waiting for his report soon. Father needed another book, something about spells. I didn't understand it and didn't want to either. I just wanted to get done with this and see if Dr. had died yet.

"I will consider it," Master finally stated, surprising me. I looked at him and nodded. He was the Master, I was the Apprentice. "But after this I would still like to test you just to see what I need to teach you. Obviously bow and arrow is something you are skilled in." Master nodded toward the now three dozen I had killed with my own arrows or arrows shot at me.

"Mmm. I think it might have actually been a skill I stole. When the monks of Azarath allowed me to 'choose' my own spell I just happened to choose wiping the knowledge of people. One day a man came to the temple and he was skilled with the bow. At that time I wasn't very skilled in my own spell and I know I really wanted to learn how to use a bow. Only the man was a sort of jerk and wouldn't teach me. I think I got mad and thus wiped his memory without realizing it. At least, he forgot how to shoot around the same time I suddenly knew how."

"So is making people insane another skill you stole?"

"No. The man I got that from actually didn't want it. He had learned it by mistake and was banished from the temple. So I took it from him with the price of starting a war on Azarath. I don't know how far that got."

"It seems it was unnecessary in the end." Master waved his hand behind us, at the burning depths of Trigon's rule. A little spot in the distance was the last temple I had attacked. I chuckled darkly.

"_**Yes it seems so. What is your report my friend?" **_I turned to my shadow ghost as he came up, eyes flickering briefly over Master. The ghost didn't trust the man and neither did I really. But Father had said what I had to do and I was going to do it. I wanted my revenge damn it.

"All the gates are guarded and the walls are patrolled," the shadow answered, distaste in his raspy hiss of a voice. I nodded. These were warlike monks. "There are windows in the walls only with archers in them. I think it would take a rather large attack to distract them for someone to get it."

"Hum. So our normal plan won't work." I tapped my chin, thinking. How was this going to work? A distraction I could provide but I also needed to get that book. My eyes drifted toward Master. He had been present when Father explained the job to me so maybe… "Hey Master. Do you think that if I were to distract a good load of them you could get past the monks?"

"What do you have in mind Apprentice?" the man asked, turning his masked face toward me. Briefly a skeleton with one glowing red eye flashed in my mind. Along with that came the mental pain I had felt when _she _betrayed me so I shoved that image firmly out of my mind.

"Well if I provide a distraction then you could sneak in and get the book. You were there when Father outlined the details of the job so… And plus before he also mentioned you weren't as strong as before…well before something. Wouldn't you like to know just how much _you've _got to work before you're at full strength?" Master regarded me calmly. Once more, like I had been already, I was struck by the soundness of his unstable mind. One like that I would never be able to snap. And I needed direct eye contact. Masks were a pain in my ass.

"Very well carry on Apprentice." I nodded and turned to my shadow. He assumed the form of Master as the real man slipped away. Then I walked forward, putting away my bow. Shadows danced into my hands. Of my two powers shadow was the stronger. I had a minimum control over earth, wind, and water too. Lightning I was well versed in but not as much as fire and shadow.

"You will never win! You will beat you back!" one monk called. I grinned with cruel delight and raised my dark hands. "Scath will never control us!"

"_**Fools!" **_I laughed, throwing back my head as I came to the front of the army. _**"You are already being controlled by him!" **_I threw my hands forward and a dark ball of energy was unleashed. It smashed directly into the front gates, leaving a good sized dent. The battle was on.

Some crazy, insane, suicidal part of me took over. I ran directly into the ranks of the monks and started throwing shadows about. My body moved purely on instinct and I let it. This was as close as I got to my rampages without actually losing it. See, with my rampages, I never remembered what I had done during the time I was out of control. It never really bothered me 'cause I was fighting for my life in those moments. But sometimes it was a pain because I was accused of things I didn't remember and probably did.

"What the hell is this girl?" I laughed as I killed the speaker, stabbing him through with a knife I had picked up off the ground. His blood pulsed from his neck and onto my face. A few drops landed in my mouth and instantly I had his memories. That was how it worked with the dead. I had to get their blood in my mouth. Most times I just didn't bother with it because that was a little disturbing for my tastes even.

This man had been a martial artist, just with a choppy style. I shook my head and decided to glean the memories later, after the fight. Inside I could hear shocked cries. Sounded like Master had done what was needed. Said man burst out of the gates not a second after the thought. He had the book clutched in one hand and a metal pipe in the other. As I watched he laid about with the pipe, a certain grace to his attacks. He met me in the middle.

"Are we through here?" he asked, sounding bored. I nodded and started pulling back, throwing shadows at those who followed. A good distance away we stopped. I still had to destroy the place and kill any left inside. And then monks had retreated back through the gates. Or where they monks? The thought hit me like an aftershock. Oh well I didn't really care anyway.

"One more thing," I said with a grin. Master looked at me as I ran forward then jumped, conjuring a huge fireball into my hands. It was about the size of a small planet. Grinning wickedly I angled the ball and threw it down, right into the middle of the temple.

_BA-BOOM! _I smiled as the shock wave washed over me. Fire danced around my body, consuming anything that was flammable. Not my clothes though thankfully. Then it was gone, shrinking back to the temple and forming a mushroom cloud. I landed and jogged lightly back over to Master. He was watching the temple being consumed by fire and I noted that some of his armor was burnt. Oops.

"You certainly have a taste for flashy things," he stated, sounding a little annoyed. Instantly I dropped the smile on my face. Master said nothing more, just handed me the book. I looked at the cover. _Spells of Darkurse_ I think that's what it said. The words started jumping at 'of'. Shaking my head I tucked the thing under my arm and took my place behind Master. A blink later and we were back at Father's feet, bowing.

"**I told you to get the book Zaven," **the demon said, sounding a little annoyed. I put the object in question in front of me. **"Although I do not really care how it was obtained in the end I still expect my orders to be followed." **I said nothing, knowing that nothing I could say would sooth the demon's annoyance.

"It would have taken us a lot longer had she gotten the book," Master said, speaking up. I nearly choked on my breath. He was crazy! I mean…okay so Master was already dead right? Wait where had that thought come from? The skull flashed in my head again. Was that Master? I couldn't remember and my brain hurt trying to chase the details.

"**Hum…Away with you. I don't want to deal with you pesky mortals right now." **I sighed slightly with relief. Sometimes Father was lazy; sometimes you would die before you could even process his displeasure. Right now he was lazy. I would live for another day.

"Come Apprentice, I would like to test you now," Master said, standing up. I also stood and followed the masked man to another part of the temple.


	8. The Arm of The Prophecy

**A/N Vacations give me writer's block. I don't own Teen Titans.**

* * *

"Hun just destroying this place?" I grunted looking at the falling walls and crumbling buildings of the village. "It's already falling apart as is. But whatever." Father hadn't even lent me some of those fire ghosts for this job. But okay whatever. I could do this easily.

Absently I walked forward, twirling the sword in my hand. My arms were sore, I was bruised in a few dozen places, and Master wasn't pleased with the skills I had picked up from the dead guy. He said something about amateurs and being learned over YouTube. I had never even heard of this YouTube. Must be something from his world.

There was no one in the village. Briefly it crossed my mind that maybe I had already attacked this place, given that my mark was carved into a nearby wall. A simple thing really; just the mark of Scath over crossed marks of fire and shadow. I had tried to convince Father to burn that into my arm instead. But he got all mad saying that his mark shall never be covered. So okay I was left with what he burned into my arm and what I had carved into my palm. I shook my head and forced the thoughts away.

"We're destroying this place why?" Master asked, coming up to me. I jumped a little. We hadn't known there wouldn't be people here and so he had wanted to do the little trick thingy. But since there was no one here it was pointless.

"Father said something about blocking a portal or something," I responded with a shrug. The sword in my hand came to life and I shoved it into the timbers of a nearby house. Instantly it was on fire. "All I know is that we have to level the place." I waved my hand at another house and it was engulfed in shadows.

"Show me what you can do with your powers then," Master said, retreating beyond the town limits. I stuck my sword back into my belt and cracked my fingers. Okay so powers only? I could totally do that.

The fireballs were easy. Anything I saw that looked like it had been burned already went up in flames again. Some of the stone houses I took out with shadows. Things were blown apart by lightning and a few times I made large gusts of winds knock over church steeples. My favorite though was just barreling into things, adding bruises to my collection. When everything was either a pile of rubble or burning to ashes I stepped back to Master's side. The man regarded me calmly.

"Is there anything else you can do?" he asked, sounding the same as he always did. Calm, in control, impossible to break. I had respect for the man because of that, not because he was my Master.

"Mmm but it takes a lot out of me. If I work on it I'll be able to do things with the earth with ease." I closed my eyes and rose a hand. The village started rising into the air, on a giant stone pedestal thingy. Sweat started trickling down my face. Snarling I clenched my hand and the earth curled around the village. I brought my fist down hard and the ball crashed into where it original had been. My knees collapsed.

"And so this job is done," Master said simply. I nodded, gasping a little, and struggled back to my feet. The man didn't offer me a hand, not that I had expected him too. "I suppose we report back."

"Yah I guess so. This was kind of boring," I replied, wiping the sweat off my forehead. As we turned to leave the ground started shaking badly. We were knocked down and I ended up face planting. Snarling I turned around and froze.

Rising up from the ground was an arm made of stone. It seemed to be about the same size as Father's arm. About halfway there was a bracelet sort of thing, with horns around it, curved down. More of the arm came up, shaking the ground harder. I was starting to go numb. Finally a hand was visible. The nails were pointed and the fingers outstretched, like they were trying to grasp at the ground. The shaking stopped.

"Oh," I gasped, awe in my voice and on my face. The arm. The one that protected the portal to Earth. If it was every destroyed Raven, my sister would be more sustainable to damage. As long as that hand was touching the ground, covering the patch, she would be safe. Nothing could kill her or maim her in any way, shape, or form. Somewhere on Earth was a corresponding arm, only with the hand stretched toward the sky. Raven would have to be in the palm of that hand to open the portal.

"Is there something significant to this stone arm?" Master asked, walking up to me. I nodded slowly. "And that would be?"

"Father is going to take over the Earth. This arm protects the portal. If it were to be knocked down, destroyed, or even if the fingers removed from the ground the portal would be a lot more sustainable to damage."

"And where would this portal be?"

"Wherever my sister is. She's the portal." I snarled the words. I really hated talking about Raven, with damn good reason.

"And your sister is?" Master seemed to be pushing me on for a certain reason. I clenched my teeth and bowed my head.

"Raven." Then my darker side took over.

_**The Gem was born of evil's fire.**_

_**The Gem shall be his portal.**_

_**He comes to claim, he comes to sire,**_

_**The end of all things mortal!**_


	9. Okay This Is Boring

**A/N I don't own Teen Titans.**

* * *

"Oh wee destroying more places," I grumbled, flicking my hand toward the building in front of me. Instantly it went up in flames. "I think I liked it better when people tried to kill me. At least then I was always on my toes." Right now Father was just sending us out to destroy stuff and retrieve books. Why I had no clue but it was rather dull. Already today I had grabbed three books, one spell ingredient thingy, and destroyed half a dozen places in the process. Master hadn't helped, just decided to attack me at random times. That was the only fun part of today.

I sighed, standing in the middle of the village I had just destroyed. Another ingredient was tucked into the bag, weighed down with the books and what not. Part of me just wanted to fling the lot into the lava river flowing nearby. But my stronger part wanted revenge and so the petty part would just have to deal with it.

"I hate having split personalities," I grumbled, rubbing my head. Oh yah another little fun factor in my life. Each of my emotions was represented inside my head by a look-alike. The only way you could tell them apart was how they acted (though sometimes that blended together) and their eye color. I most often left Rage control me, giving me the red irises everyone had come to know and fear. When all my eyes opened I was just shutting out all the other voices in my head.

"Split personalities?" Master's voice said behind me. This time I didn't even jump and whirl around. Absently I raised a hand to block the strike aimed for my head.

"Yah," I answered, whirling around. Master kept on attacking me, which okay was a little difficult to block everything. "Each of my emotions is represented by a doppelganger inside my head. The only way you can tell them apart is how they act and eye color." I narrowly missed the bo staff that swung by my head. Master was as cold and oppressive as always.

"So red means?"

"Rage. I often left her control me. If all my eyes open that just means I'm blocking out all the other voices." In principle it was rather easy. The whole thing about powers being controlled emotions was a load of bull shit.

"What would purple be?" I blinked a little in surprise. Purple? Mother's eyes had been purple and she had been trained not to show emotion by the monks of Azarath. Raven had gone through the same thing, her eyes also being purple. Mine had always changed color to match my emotion. But they never went purple.

"Suppression of emotions I suppose," I finally answered with a shrug. Maybe if Master wasn't wearing that mask I would have seen if he raised an eyebrow or not. Briefly again a skeleton flashed through my brain. "My mother and sister were both trained by the monks of Azarath not to show emotion. Both had purple eyes. Mine have forever changed color, in accordance to the emotion I'm feeling at the time. Lately it's been stuck in red." I barred my teeth at the sky. Soon, so very soon, I would get the revenge I wanted. And then maybe, just maybe, my eyes would shift colors again.

"Did your sister have any powers?" Master asked, stopping his attack. I cringed slightly. I didn't like talking about her that much.

"Yes," I answered tightly, through clenched teeth. We started moving for the next town. "But not the same as mine. A soul self. She can throw stuff around with it, last I knew, but only inanimate objects." I snorted and picked up a beam in the same dark energy Raven used. "Because it is a soul self we in sense are putting a little of our soul into the object we're picking up. Raven was only really comfortable with picking up inanimate objects because they couldn't _feel._ They had no emotions to get into her head." I planted my feet like I was going to throw a spear and aimed at a random hill. Master said nothing as I threw the wooden beam using my soul energy. "I can do the same thing just more. I can _feel _with animate objects. The emotions won't break my control. They wouldn't with Raven's either, if she stopped believing the load of shit about suppressing emotions to control her powers." From the ground I pulled up a whole colony of rats, each squealing with alarm. I felt that alarm in my head and while it would have knocked Raven off it didn't affect me. My hand brought the colony to the wrecked village. The squeals of alarm turned to those of delight.

"So you're saying that because Raven suppresses her emotions she is actually weaker?" Master finally said, watching the rats. I yawned, fiddled with the strap on the bag, and checked the time. Not even noon!

"Yah pretty much. At least, last I knew. Maybe she has more control now but who cares? In the end, I'll still have my revenge." My hands clenched into fists and I just barely kept Rage from taking over completely. Father wanted everything in one piece.

'_**Fool don't you think I know that?' **_Rage snarled in my head. I bit my tongue to keep from growling. _**'I want revenge too idiot. I'm you. I am the one with the strongest desire for revenge!' **_I shut out the mad cackling. Talking I could do. Myself laughing, out loud, where my ears heard it, I could also do. Laughing inside my head? Nope, couldn't stand it.

"Have you ever suppressed your emotions before Apprentice?" I was suddenly asked. I blinked and shuddered.

"Once. It turned into a disaster. I had a headache, I kept throwing up and my powers went all haywire." I decided not mention I had destroyed three blocks. Those three blocks had been part of the library…which okay I didn't feel so bad about destroying because I couldn't read any of the books in the thing. But everyone had grumbled about something or another and gave me dirty looks. From then on I was never allowed anywhere _near _the library. And that made me happy actually because then Raven stopped trying to teach me how to read normal print.

I cringed. Those were happier times, when my trust was still strong in my sister. When she was still allowed to feel emotions. At least, more so than she probably did after I had been taken away. My hands curled into fists again, nails digging into my skin. I didn't notice that until I felt the blood drip off my palms and to the ground below.

"Oops," I grumbled, opening my hands. Blood flowed from the nail marks. It ran along the creases and dripped over the sides. Sighing I dropped my hands and kept walking. That made what…over 30,000 times now I had done that? I had lost count at a hundred. The scars were deep and permanent on my palms. If you weren't looking for them you couldn't see them. But if you knew they were there…

"How much do you suppose we'll get down today?" Master asked. I frowned, calculating. The people had probably already left since that warlike group had been the only line of defense. So that would just mean waltzing in, maybe dealing with a left over protection spell, getting what was needed, and leaving the place left in tiny pieces. I sighed.

"A whole hell of a lot," I grumbled, feeling the blood drying on my palms. I didn't really care to figure out the fine details. We only had three days to deal with this crap. If we didn't get it done in that time Father would send out his fire ghosts to do everything himself. I at least know we would get the job done with the rest of today and half of tomorrow.

'_Hey in three days' time it's our birthday!' _Happy suddenly exclaimed in my head. I blinked in shock. So it was. I hadn't even realized that part. Maybe in three days' time Father would send someone out to give Raven the marks. I sighed and shook my head. The marks that would bring about the prophecy could have been given to me…

At our birth the monks knew one of us was going to bring about the end of the world. Which they didn't know. In truth it could have been either one of us…only they looked into Raven's future first because she's the older twin. The monks saw the most dominant future for both of us. The end of the world. Raven was told she would bring the end of the world with her birthday. She was never told I could do the same thing. Nor that it could only happen once.


	10. I've Walked This All

**A/N I don't own Teen Titans.**

* * *

My eyes snapped open. Everything around me was still, disturbingly still. I had a lingering sensation of a warm body slipping from my side. That was just a memory though. Right now not even Master was breathing.

That's when I bolted into a standing position, shadows wrapped around my hands. Shadow was offense, fire was defensive. That was their primary uses. My at the moment wild gray eyes scanned the area. Gray, like that of a storm, meant guarded fear. Raw fear was a sickly yellow.

Something started whizzing toward me. My body moved on instinct. A fist sailed by my nose, a fist covered in armor. Oh Master. He came out of the shadows and started attacking me. The shadows melted away from my hands as I started fighting back. He was supposed to teach me martial arts. Later, when I was more skilled, I would mix my powers into the fighting style.

"I had gotten no more than a foot away from camp before you woke up," Master stated calmly. I cringed. He hadn't slept at my side, but I had uncanny sense of knowing when people were leaving the area.

"Something happened to me in the past, something that involved someone leaving my side," I answered, ducking the man's bo staff again. Master said nothing, just continued to attack me. I sighed very softly. That night had done more damage to me than I cared to admit. The monks, or rather the ones who followed Dr., had tried to banish me to a world of water, a place I would never survive. They thought me to be dead. Did Raven think me to be dead too?

"So you're working for your Father for a chance to have revenge?" Master asked. The way he asked made it seem like he was making a statement and only wanted it confirmed. I nodded. "And what would that revenge be?"

"For the ones who harmed me to know the same pain I know," I answered softly, very softly. "I've already dealt with Dr. and the monks. Now I just need to get to Raven." The monks that had followed the doctor had been banished at some point or another. I had found them along my travels. Each one was dead. I didn't bother making them insane.

"What does dark blue mean then, for your eye color?" I blinked as the attack ended. Dark blue? Tears pricked at my eyes. Hastily I rubbed my palm against my eyes.

"Deep pain." Normal blue was sadness. A sharp, bright blue, like electricity, meant shock or surprise. Sky blue was pure happiness. That hadn't flickered into my eyes in the longest time.

"Interesting." I took a deep breath, trying to push away my pain. Normally I could keep it under control. Of course, normally I wasn't asked about my changing eye color. Snarling I shook my head and kicked dirt onto the faintly glowing embers. We were plunged into darkness.

"If we want to get this job done in time we should get moving," I said, turning southward. I sensed more than heard Master follow my lead. "We've got a hell of a lot of ground to cover."

"You've said you can't read. What makes you think that?"

"I've spent the last ten years of my life walking it."


	11. Forever Under My Feet

**A/N I don't own Teen Titans.**

* * *

My feet were forever trudging, drawing me forward, crunching the dirt underfoot. The sound wasn't all that uncommon to me. For ten long years it had been the primary thing resonating in my ears as I usually breathed quietly. Never ending, forever the same, crunching onward. Toward my revenge, always my revenge.

What was new was the other set of feet crunching the dirt beside me.

Master walked calmly and quietly at my side. In the silence I could feel an aura of power radiating from the man. He was strong, I had a few broken bones and a half dozen bruises to prove that. But something seemed…twisted about this power. What was it? I couldn't place my finger on it, nor my mind. Never had I come across someone's mind I couldn't crack. Even the strongest broke under my gaze. But Master…It was like he was already insane.

I sighed quietly to myself for what felt like the umpteenth time. This was getting nowhere but a headache and fast. My brain was never meant to figure out these problems. At least not until I could finish being a kid again. Then maybe I would be smart. I could be now, but do you realize how damn hard it is to find books in the writing I _could _read? It's not exactly easy and trust me, I've tried. When you're alone for a seriously long ass time books are a good thing to have. Especially fiction ones.

About half the job was already done. The bag around my shoulders was heavy with useless crap to me. But my feet kept dragging onward. When I said I had crazy stamina I meant it. I didn't know how far I could go but I knew once I got into my pace I could go for hours, weighed down or not. Master…eh not so much. We had to stop for a few breaks along the way. It really didn't help him that much and certain didn't make me get tired. After all, ten years of such little breaks and forever trekking I was well used to the pattern. The term 'sleep' did not apply to me.

"How much distance was between the two towns?" Master asked suddenly, breaking the silence. I bit my lip. The last part of our job was located in the last town. I didn't know what we were going to find in the way of people there. Tyumph was a pretty active place last I had been there which was…well ten years ago now. That city was the start of my journey you could say.

"200, maybe 300 miles? Give or take 50," I answered, deciding not to mention we had already gone 200 miles. Good thing Father gave me clothes that never wore out. Like my boots. Before I had worn right through the soles of my shoes when trekking those miles. "We should be there within the hour if we keep going at this pace."

"You mean if I manage to last that long," Master grumbled under his breath. I said nothing. I wasn't supposed to hear that but I knew it to be true. He was starting to drop back again. With a sigh I stopped. "You're getting too good at reading me Apprentice." Master sounded annoyed, very annoyed.

"No. I'm just good at reading people who are trying to match me in stamina and endurance. They usually end up passed out on the side of the trail." That had happened a few dozen times. Usually people who had been chasing me. "Or dead. Which do you prefer?"

Master gave me a long look as he sat down. I was reminded of the skull face that had flashed through my brain before. Was that really him? And if it was why was he weak like this? He was dead which means he should have been able to go on forever and never stop. I was living, I needed to stop…albeit shortly and not very often. Some times it rocks being a half-demon.

As Master rested I wandered a bit farther along. He wasn't one for conversation, Master, and after years of walking alone…well with someone at my side I liked to talk. Of course that had ended quick enough when Master said I was talking nonsense. And maybe was. I never really knew, given no one had taught me. Six years of your life doesn't really teach you much.

I flinched at the thought. Six years I had trust in my sister. We were both going to turn seven the next day…after that night. When I turned seven I was scared, lost, and alone with a creepy old man called the Keeper of Dimensions. Now, I was going to be turning seventeen in two days. Ten long years had gone by. Since that night the term 'happiness' hadn't really made itself known to me. And I knew tomorrow night, the same night of ten years ago, I would relive every single moment of that time. It had happened for nine years now. It was my own personal Hell.

Pushing aside my feelings I turned to Master. It had been at least five minutes. The man was getting to his feet.

"We'll be there within the hour," I stated firmly, turning away again. I didn't want him to see my tears. My feet started crunching the dirt again, forever again.


	12. It's A Ghost Town

**A/N I don't own Teen Titans**

* * *

Unlike the last time I was here Tyumph was deserted. While this didn't surprise me the length it _seemed _deserted did. Dust had collected everywhere and buildings had started to crumble. Old papers and plastic bags danced weakly in the wind. I stopped dead.

"It's…dead," I said softly, staring wide eyed at the town I once knew. I had spent three months here. Painstakingly so I called it home to sooth people's curiosity. This was the only place I hadn't destroyed, scarred, or any other way possible hurt. Each street I knew like the back of my hand. Seeing it dead hurt. A lot. More than I thought it would have.

"This reminds me of the ghost towns in movies," Master said, walking up to my side. While he was calm and commanding most of the times there were times when he slipped. "Only, this isn't a desert and there are no tumbleweeds."

"What's a movie?" I asked confused. I knew the term ghost town (and Tyumph had turned into one), desert and tumbleweed too. But movies? I had no idea what that was. I couldn't even think of something to compare it too. It sounded vaguely like moving. This was making my head hurt. Master stared at me for a long time before shaking his head and turning away.

"Where might this last book be kept?" he asked, folding his hands behind his back. I bite my lip. There were thousands of places for the damn book to hide. The most likely? Either the library or the head priest's house.

"There are two places. One's the head priest's house. The other is the library." I started walking confidently down the street in front of us. I didn't think Master saw the way my hands were shaking. I _hoped _he didn't see it. "Which would you like to take?"

"You can't read so I'll take the library." I nodded and twisted down another street. Master followed me without a word. I didn't bother telling him that the head priest had a library in his house half the size of the public library. And that took up a six block by six block square. Add in three levels to the ground, not including the basement (but that's where repairs were done and stuff) made for one very large library.

"Alright then I get the priest house." I stopped in front of the library. Master let his gaze travel up the building and then down the sidewalk. "Have fun. Don't get lost. The librarians don't seem around to help you anymore." And I left.

As I walked away I felt a crushing weight on my chest. Many times my feet had tread this path. Many times people had called out to me, wishing me a good day or something of the like. I had been accepted here. If it hadn't been for my desire of revenge I could have lived here the rest of my life, without the weight of the prophecy. I could have avoided all the pain of the last ten years if I had stayed here. But I wanted revenge more than anything else.

_**Flashback**_

"_Why are you going Zae?" I turned to my best friend. Tina's brilliant blonde hair was soaked and so weren't her clothes. She had run in the rain I guess. I turned back to my packing. _

"_I want them to know Tina," I answered softly, putting in the one book I could read. I had made sure the damn thing was immune to any kind of damage. "I want them to know the pain they caused me."_

"_Damn it girl you can at least wait a few years before striking out! You're only seven!" Tina was seventeen. I acted a lot older than my age. I flinched at the reminded of my age. My fingers tightened around the bow in my belt. _

"_Tina you don't understand. Revenge is in my blood. It's not something I can fight. I'm sorry but I have to go." I slung the bag over my shoulders and finally turned to my friend. Her chocolate brown eyes were magnified by tears that were spilling onto her cheeks. I had to force down the guilt I was feeling. I was leaving and probably never coming back. _

"_Zaven I know that you're a half-demon. I know because you've told me. But please, please, can't you just wait until you're a little older?" I closed my eyes and shook my head. Tina began to chock on her breath. She started sobbing. My heart ached as I bowed my head, listening to the ragged breaths. Slowly I walked past her, out of the room, out of the building, onto the street. It was raining, hard, like never before in Tyumph. As I walked away, the water slowly soaking my clothes, Tina started screaming. I flinched and kept walking away, slowly away. I couldn't tell if the water on my cheeks were tears or rain._

Stopping I put my hand on the wall beside me. My throat ached and water was on my cheeks. There was a salty taste in my mouth. Hastily I wiped away the tears. Then I brought out the book.

It was a simple thing, plain leather covering with red, curling lettering. _Attack of the Dead _was the title. I had read it many times over, simply because it was the only thing I could. Each word was planted firmly in my mind to the point I could tell you the whole story without looking at the pages. Tina had given it to me just because I could read the title. And then she had me read it out loud to her.

My chest aching again I put the book away. Then suddenly I was racing through the streets. It would take Master a while to search the library and I knew for a fact the book was at the priest's house. I had suddenly remembered that the priest had shown me the book. But right now there was another destination on my mind. Tina's place. Was it…I shook my head. I didn't want to think it was crumbling like some of the other buildings around me.

I stopped outside the door. The building was intact, apart from a few windows being broken. Slowly I crept forward, fragments of memories washing over me. When Tina first called me Zae (I hated the nickname at first), when we attempted making cookies and had a food fight with the batter instead (her mom wasn't too happy and made us clean up the mess), the many times curled up on her bed with me reading and Tina listening…Slowly I shook them off. I wanted to be in the present, the here and now. I stepped inside the building.

Almost instantly I knew something was…off. I felt like time had stopped moving around me but still was. Almost like for a few moments I was stuck in this age, this body. Could that be possible? The rumors of immortality trickled into my brain. Maybe that was this? But why would it be in Tina's house? I didn't like this and my hands drifted to where the swords sat in my belt. Father had given me another one, to channel the shadows.

My feet carried me to the stairs. Every step I took increased the feeling. I was pretty sure the metal was bending under my grip. Slowly I climbed the stairs and onto the second floor. There were three rooms up here. One was Tina's parent's room. No noise came from there. I pushed open the door and looked in. Everything was covered in dust. My eyes caught a familiar photo and stopped me dead.

Tina's parents were sitting at a picnic table, one that I knew was in the backyard. Both were laughing at something, something that I had said. I knew this photo very well. Tina was sitting on the ground, a shocked expression on her face as she looked down at her lap. In her lap was me.

I was seven and smaller, with clothes suited for fall on in the photo. You could barely make out the red leaf in my own brilliant red hair. It was cut short, like now, and hung into murky green eyes matched with a confused expression. The green was sort of sickly, like that of a swamp.

I had just asked why Tina went all dazed eye about this girl she kept talking about and why her…well I had called it pee pee area got all warm when she talked. Both her parents put the pieces together instantly and that was why they were laughing. Tina was shocked at first then she got embarrassed and mumbled something about me being too young to understand. Don't ask who took the photo because I couldn't tell you. It just mysteriously made its way onto the wall.

Slowly I turned away, my breathing a little ragged. I knew now that Tina had been aroused when she was talking about that girl. I knew that my friend had been les. And I wondered that if I were older would we have become more than just friends. And if that would have been enough to make me stay.

The next room was the bathroom. It didn't really hold many memories other than the one of me standing in front of the mirror with wide electric blue eyes as I wiggled a tooth. Then I had torn into Tina's room with fear, demanding to know why my tooth was loose. My friend had laughed as she explained the process to me. Instead of a normal tooth that had grown in a fang had taken the place of my baby tooth.

The last room. Tina's room. I hesitated with my hand on the door. The feeling was so strong now. It seemed to be coming from this very room. I didn't like it but I knew I couldn't leave without knowing what had become of this room. It would have killed me not to. Slowly I opened the door…and stopped dead.

_Zaven's eyes flickered from the gray of guarded fear mingled with dark blue of deep pain to pure electric blue of shock. The room looked no different than the last time she had stepped in her. Even the dust in the other rooms was missing. But that wasn't what stopped her. No, it was the fact that the person who had slept in this room those many years ago was still here, still in the age that Zaven had left. _

"_T-Tina?" Zaven called softly, her voice hitching with emotion. Slowly the blonde sitting on the bed opened her eyes, chocolate brown eyes that held unshed tears. She turned to the door, painstakingly slow, and finally took in the sight before her. _

"_Zaven? Is that really you?" Tina asked, confusion in her voice. The girl before her was older than the little girl she had known so long ago but it was still seemed Zaven. No one had that brilliant red hair nor the crooked nose and the abnormal, eye color changing. Tina's question was answered as the blue went to murky green. The blonde sucked in a sharp breath._

"_How…I mean…it's been ten years and you haven't aged a day." Zaven cautiously took a step forward. Her eyes were flashing with gray. Tina smiled softly and patted the bed beside her. The motion sent the red head flying across the room. She tackled into Tina and hugged her. Zaven's body shook as she cried. _

"_I don't know how but I've been stuck in this age ever since you left Zae," Tina answered, gently stroking her friend's hair. Her other hand gently ran across the scarred gray skin and traced bulging muscles. "You have though and I'm betting it's more than just physically." The demi-demon didn't…or rather couldn't respond as her legs curled up underneath her. The tight grip that usually chocked people to death clutched at Tina's shirt._

"_I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Zaven gasped out, knowing just how much pain her friend had gone through. She had caused it after all, and the own ache in her chest by simply leaving. _

_For the longest time the two girls stayed like that, Tina holding Zaven and Zaven clutching at Tina like there was no tomorrow. And maybe there was no tomorrow. No, there was still a day between this one and Zaven's birthday. The demi-demon had a sneaking suspicion that the day of birth would mark the end of her stay in this dimension. For good. _


	13. Bleeding Fingertips

**A/N I don't own Teen Titans.**

* * *

My fingertips were bleeding. That's the only thing that I could process in my brain. They were bleeding. I've ripped open my stomach, ran through knives, jumped into a pool of sharks with a bloody nose…yet nothing shocked me as much as this. My fingertips were bleeding shreds of what they once were. I stared at them in shock as around me the world crumbled to nothing.

Rewind. You're probably wondering how the hell I got here.

I had to leave Tina again. This time though she was okay with that. Like she had been holding on just for me. The moment my foot stepped out of that door she was gone. I knew but I didn't look back. The feeling of something off had disappeared. In its place I was left feeling…hollow. Like something had been ripped from my soul, from my heart. Shivering I ran to the priest's house.

There I found the last book we needed. And I found some other books too. Ones that I could read. So I grabbed a few of them and tucked them beside _Attack of the Dead._ Then I ran for it.

Master was standing in the lobby of the building, staring at the mass of books. I had to wonder if in his world there was such a place like this. Well, this size at the very least. He didn't seem to notice as I slipped into the deeper area of the library and looked at some of the 'off limits' books. They were only that way because they were in a language no one could read. That is, no one but me. I grabbed a few of them too. Something was filling me with dread.

"I have the last book Master," I called, making it seem like I entered from one of the side doors. The man jerked out of his shock and settled into his cold, commanding pose. I glanced around the building. "Do they have places like this where you're from?"

"Yes. But not this size," he replied. I nodded and turned to the main door. He followed me quietly. We stepped out of the building and instantly I felt my fingers tingling. Less than three seconds later we were in front of Trigon. Instantly I was down on one knee, head bowed and the bag in front of me. Master followed my example slowly.

"**You succeeded," **Father said, sounding annoyed. I merely said nothing. It wouldn't do me any good to piss him off. **"I was not expecting that."**

"There was no one to oppose us," Master replied. He was back in control now, given we were back in a familiar area. I cringed and said nothing. Seriously man, if you're expecting something in return for your services talking back was not the way to go. Something glittered under the dirt. Slowly my hand crept toward it.

"**It took Zaven ten years to walk that distance." **Oh hell why was I being dragged into this? My fingers tightened around dirt and the shiny object.

"I ran some of it. And was attacked," I answered, keeping my head down. Slowly I let the dirt trickle through my fingers. "There were times I stayed in spots a while too." Tyumph was the longest I ever stayed though. Never more than a month I had vowed after leaving the city. I just wouldn't be able to stand it.

For a long time there was silence. The dirt had fully disappeared from my hand, leaving me with a ring. I didn't dare open my hand to find out the details of this ring but I knew it was simple. Just a plain old band with some carvings, that's what I could tell. I thrummed gently against my palm. Another magic item that had Father's marks? Some how I doubted that.

"**Leave. I will call you when you are needed." **I breathed a sigh of relief and stood, keeping my head down. It stayed down until I was out of sight from the demon. Or at least, directly out of sight. Master was at my side as I opened my hand.

Much to my surprise there were two rings resting against my palm. Both were simple bands with carvings, one gold with red symbols, the other black with white symbols. The black one thrummed against my palm but my eyes widened at the golden one.

"The Ring of Azar?" I breathed, picking it up gently. Master regarded the small ring curiously. He took it from my limp fingers before I could drop it again.

"I haven't heard of this Azar," he commented, studying the jewelry. Slowly I shook my head.

"I haven't heard much either. I just know she's powerful and so isn't that ring." I turned back to the black ring. As I did the white symbols glowed softly. My eyes nearly popped out of my head. These symbols…they couldn't be right? They couldn't be for that demon and hum for me. That wasn't possible right? Slowly I shook my head. Yet even as I watched the ring _melted _and then formed again. Around _my _finger. My knees collapsed and I stared at my hand in disbelief.

_The dancing shadows of fire  
__Will set the demon's spawn free.  
__From heaven or hell,  
__Control or freedom,  
__Love or hate.  
__The dancing shadows of fire  
__Will set the raven free._

A long, angered howl jolted me out of my thoughts. Wind was blowing hard, whipping through the air. Master was crouched by my side. He gave me a hardened look then pulled off his mask.

Beneath the metal was a skeleton face. One eye, the left eye, was glowing red. The right was cold and dead. In my half shocked state I froze. Everything Master knew about martial arts melted into my brain. And a group of teen superheroes called the Teen Titans.

_Raven…is a Titan? _The wind picked me up and threw me. My body started acting on autopilot as I grabbed for the ground. Master was unfazed by it all. That's when I knew. I was never supposed to succeed. Father never planned on giving me a chance for revenge. He didn't plan on giving Slade back his body either. He would destroy Slade, like he was trying to with me.

And now I'm lying here, on the outskirts of Tyumph again, with bleeding fingertips and a raw throat. Tears of frustration trickled down my cheeks. The clothes Father gave me are gone, along with his mark. I'm supposed to be dead but I'm not. A demon can't kill another demon. That's why they have children.


	14. Leaving

**A/N So this is the last chapter of 'A Broken Promise'. I am going to continue with Zaven and her story but under a different title. 'Rebuilding Trust'. If I told you the details it would kill the idea. So I don't own Teen Titans and tell me what you've thought of 'A Broken Promise'.**

* * *

"_Here I am again, in a strange place," I whispered softly, starring up at the blue sky. A warm breeze danced across my face. "Have I died? Is this death?" Slowly I sat up. _

_Around me lay Azarath, restored to its beautiful image that I been forced out of. There were no people here, not this time. I stood, dusting myself off. If I was dead then I was in my own personal Hell. Here marked the cause of my journey._

"_Does it mark the end too?" I wondered aloud. A rustling noise behind made my hand dart to the sword at my belt as I turned. It was a dove, pure and simple, white feathers glistening in the light coming from the buildings. I sighed and relaxed slightly. "You're going to lead me to someone aren't?" The bird cocked its head at me. "Right, you can't talk. Fly away to your master and I will follow." A flurry of wings and the bird was off. I started running. _

_As I ran I passed familiar places. Places that had been destroyed the last I had seen them. If I wasn't dead then I had gone back in time. But to where and for why? What was the point of putting me here, besides to torment my mind? The bird shot up the side of a building. I skidded to a stop and looked up. This one, of all places. The one I had lived in for the longest part of my life. Growling I pushed off from the ground. A shadow platform formed beneath my feet as I started to fall. Another push and I was at the top._

"_Mother," I stated, gripping both sword handles. The woman with the white cloak turned. Her expression was sad, narrow face drawn in pain. A low snarl started rumbling in my throat. Mother never had time for me. She was always worried about Raven. And while Raven could have drunk in that worry and shut me out she didn't. The reason I had been so close to my sister to begin with was that. _

"_I knew they did not open the portal well," the woman stated. The snarl became heard. Mother didn't even flinch. In fact she looked sadder. My snarl died off instantly, confusion taking over. "The Keeper helped you out a lot." _

"_He did. Which is more than you can say." My tone was bitter. The abyss between her and me ran a lot deeper than the one between me and Raven. Raven had a chance of being forgiven. Mother did not. If I knew she wasn't already dead I would have killed her. "Why have you brought me here?" _

"_Azar wanted to talk to you." I let out a snarl of frustration. Azar, it was always Azar. If I wasn't being haunted by that night it was always her voice I heard in my dreams. What did she want with me anyway? I wasn't the one who was going to bring about the world. I couldn't, not with my luck._

"_You were a descendent of the Shadow Demon," I mused, staring at the woman who was my mother. She nodded. "Even if Trigon never did rape you I was still going to be born. You refused to accept the power of the Shadow and thus I was created. I was never supposed to have a father. And Raven was never supposed to be born." Mother's face fell._

"_The cult took me in because they sensed my bloodline. They knew you were going to be born. Trigon was thrown into the mix in hopes of creating you, a total new demon that they would raise and control. I didn't know this at the time of yours and Raven's birth." I started turning away._

"_They got what they wanted," I answered, looking at the sky. It was still the cheerful blue. I watched another dove dive into the city and somehow I knew Raven was here. "The new demon part. No one but myself controls me though." I jumped off the edge and landed on the street far below. _

"_Hello?" My heart ached at the voice echoing through the empty city. Raven. She was so close to me. I could just walk right over and smack her one upside the head. No, now was not the time. Taking my revenge would prevent Trigon from taking over but I'd destroy a timeline if I did that. Sighing I turned away, listening to the footsteps as they moved through the city. Azar wanted to talk to me. And there was only one place I could think of where she would be. _

_I stood in front of the library door. The same door I had accidently destroyed. Seems ironic that I would come here of all places. I blinked. It had taken me a blink of an eye to get from the house to here. And the two were nowhere even close to each other. _

"_Ah I can teleport. But through dimensions?" I pushed open the door in front of me, stepping into the shadowy building. There was enough light to read by, that was it. I pursed my lips. It hadn't been like this before. _

"_It's you child," a voice said. Another familiar voice. I sighed as I turned to woman. _

_It's hard to describe how Azar looks. To the point I'm not even going to try. Besides the descriptions I had heard didn't even come close to what I was seeing. Did we see what we wanted or expected too?_

"_Yes you do," Azar said with a small smile. My hand shot to my sword. "Relax child I'm not going to harm you." Easier said than done. _

"_What do you mean by the lighting is me?" I asked, looking around. Just enough shadows for me to feel comfortable and others to feel wary. Enough light to read by which admittedly, for me, wasn't much._

"_The setting of the library was always controlled by a strong person. As I am dead you are the strongest person here. Thus the lights turn to match your mood and comfort." I looked around and headed in the direction of the 'off-limit' books. Normally 'off-limits' meant they were in another language. _

"_The fact I can't read. I'm a totally new demon. I'm only able to read Demon Script aren't I?" I called over my shoulder. Azar made a small noise of conformation as I knelt by one of the bookshelves. "To bad I destroyed these books. They would have been interesting to read."_

"_They're not destroyed." Somehow that didn't surprise me. I grabbed one off the shelf and flicked it open. The page I flicked to had a picture of a dragon and a man battling. Oh Machlior. He was annoying. Disgusted I put the book back. _

"_What did you want to talk to me about?" I asked softly, no doubt in my mind Azar heard me. I was rewarded with a small noise of hesitation. My fingers drifted over another book, inviting me to read. _

"_You see pretty comfortable with the fact you're a demon," the woman finally said. I pulled the book off the shelf and ran my fingers over the cover. _

"_I've been dealing with it my whole life," I answered with a shrug. Rage was the demon in me, I just had never realized that she was a different demon and not some Trigon essence in my soul. That would mean somewhere hiding in my head was her true form. _My _true form. A ruefully smile tugged at my lips. "I just never realized until now that I was my own demon. And that's probably a good thing too…for my victims." I put the book back and stood, facing the woman again. Her image was starting to pale. _

"_My time here is nearly up," she said. I nodded. "And that means yours too."_

"_The illusion of this place is almost up."_

My eyes snapped open. I was staring at the red sky again, clouded and angry. A dark, shadowy hand had laid itself on my shoulder. Confused green eyes flickered to the shadow.

"I didn't summon you," I stated calmly, looking at my shadow ghost. The black, soulless eyes seemed to cloud over with emotion.

"I am your servant. I come when you need me," he replied, turning away. When I needed him? My fingertips throbbed dully. Oh yah that. I tried sitting up but a sharp stinging pain in my stomach stopped. Confused I looked down. Bandages were wrapped around my torso and stomach. "When Tyumph started to collapse some of the pieces hit you."

"Tyumph…collapsed?" I leaned back on my elbows. While not as pain free as lying down it was easier to deal with than sitting up. The shadow nodded, grabbing something from a bag I hadn't noticed. "So where are we?"

"Just outside the Meeting Place of Worlds." I nodded. My friend didn't really like going in there. And I knew the Keeper wouldn't be coming out either. If he did…the result would mean every and any world collapsing. That had nearly happened once. "Here." I blinked. He was handing me jerky, something I ate often. With just that and water I could live for weeks. And I had before.

"Thanks," I replied, taking the dried meat. Barely enough spices to call it good but that was okay. It was better than no spices at all. My rampage would suddenly start if I did that.

For a while there was silence. A sick, ghostly sound carried on the dry wind. I frowned. While I was a demon myself I didn't exactly fit into the stereo type. I spared children, pregnant woman, and mainly targeted people who deserved it. Okay some maybe I was a demonic angel or something. At least, with my powers and attitude that's probably what people were going to label me as once I got to Earth.

"You knew I was a demon didn't you?" I asked my friend, staring up at the sky. The angry clouds seemed to glare back at me. He hesitated before give a short, stiff nod. "That's why you always came back to me right? I mean, you said I was the first to ever summon you and stuff but usually ghosts only work with someone in a one-shot deal."

"Your father had his fire ghosts that he could create millions of," the shadow answered. I turned my gaze to him. His appearance had changed to match the said ghosts. "But unlike me they do not possess any brains. They merely follow orders." This was true, so very true. "You can create them too but they're going to look a bit different. However, I possess a brain. I can create a battle plan that uses both our abilities to their max." I nodded. It was him that came up with idea of him taking on my form and me allowing the shadows to wrap around me.

"So if I go to Earth you're still going to be at my side?"

"Yes. But after you summon me I have to stay." I processed the information silently. It wouldn't be a bad thing, because then I knew I would have someone at my side forever. But I was worried about the light and stuff. I knew the Earth was warmed by the sun. And while we did need a little light, for a shadow can't be cast without it, too much would make him uncomfortable.

"Alright then. We'll work out the details later. But if you're going to be stuck with me you need a name." My friend blinked in shock and then let out the hissing chuckle that was his laugh. I smiled wryly at him and waited. He was going to have to produce a name because I was terrible at it.

"Schatten," he finally said. I raised an eyebrow. "It's German for shadow."

"German? Is that a language on Earth?" Schatten nodded. "Ah okay then. Well Schatten the first order of business is to get to Earth first. I know I can teleport from place to place but I'm not sure about through dimensions."

"The Keeper will know." I glanced to where the Meeting Place of Worlds sat. Trigon wouldn't destroy this place. It would mean the destruction of the worlds he wanted to control. And there was a certain area around the place you couldn't destroy either because one or two worlds might be destroyed. When messing with dimensions you better damn well know your stuff.

"He would wouldn't he? Will you be alright if I go in there?" Of course he would. I don't even know why I asked. Schatten smiled slightly and nodded. "Okay good." I tried getting up but more pain stopped. "Oh right I'm injured." My friend chuckled, he never laughed, and helped me up.

Slowly we made our way to the door. As we drew nearer I could see the old man waiting in the doorway. He looked a little worried at something. Probably me or some war happening in one of the worlds he looked over. I betting by how his eyes stayed locked on me it my condition.

"Here I can take her," Keeper said as we reached the door. He wrapped one arm around my waist and took my free arm around his shoulders. Schatten seemed nervous about letting me go. But he stayed at the door. I turned to him.

"I'll see you soon okay?" I promised, holding out a fist with the pinkie raised. Yes I still pinkie promised. Schatten smiled slightly and wrapped his pinkie around mine.

"I'll hold you to it," he said, squeezing my pinkie slightly. I smiled and nodded and watched my friend disappear. Sighing softly for some reason I couldn't understand I turned to the Keeper.

"Can I hop dimensions?" I asked, eyes turning to the light brown that marked my curiosity. The Keeper nodded. "Great! I think it'll hurt though with my condition." On queue a sharp jolt of pain stabbed through my brain.

"If you teleport in this state your wounds will heal but the age of your body will be reduced." I blinked. Okay so I might drop a few years. That wasn't so bad right? I mean then I could sort of start over on Earth. "And I can't guarantee when you'll end up. It'll still be Earth but the time…I don't know."

For a long time I was silent. I could go now and end up with a younger body. Add in the risk of getting there before Raven or after she died made it rather hard. But if I waited what would? Trigon could take over, the world could be destroyed and there was still the possibility that I wouldn't catch Raven.

"I'm going now."


End file.
